Double door operator



March 2, 1954 E, H BUSHELL 2,670,952

, DOUBLE DOOR OPERATOR Filed June 2, 1950 2 Sheets-Sheet l ATTORNEYSMarch 2, 1954 E, H.v BUSHELL DOUBLE DOOR OPERATOR 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 FiledJune 2, 1950 ATTORNEYS INVENTOR EH'BJasZeZZ Patented Mar. 2, 1954 DOUBLEDooR OPERATOR Elmer H. Bushell, San Bruno, Calif., assignor of one-halfto Zela K. Page, Abilene, Tex.

Application June '2, 1950, Serial No. 165,755

1 Claim. 1

. This invention relates to door operators.

An object of this invention is to provide an operator for a pair ofdoors whereby both doors will open and close in unison.

Another object of this invention is vto provide a door operator whichwill resiliently hold a pair of doors in either open or closed position,the operator including a dashpot means to cushion the final movement ofeach door to open or closed position.

A further object of this invention is to provide a door operator of thiskind which is so constructed that the mechanism may be con cealed in theupper portion of the door frame.

With the above and other objects in view, my invention consists in thearrangement, combination and details of construction disclosed in thedrawings .and specification, and then more particularly pointed out inthe appended claim.

In the drawings:

Figure 1 is a plan view .of a door operator constructed according -to anembodiment of this invention.

Figure 2 is a front elevation partly broken away of the operator and apair of doors connected to the operator. v

Figure 3 is a fragmentary plan view partiy in section of one of theoperators. k

Figure 4 is a fragmentary vertical section of one of the operators anddoors.

Figure 5 is a fragmentary sectional view taken on the line 5 5 of Figure4.

.Figure 6 is a fragmentary sectional view taken on the line 6-6 ofFigure 3.

Figure 7 is a fragmentary plan view of the adjustable stop for theoperator.

Figure 8 is a fragmentary vertical section of a modified form of lowerpivot for a door.

Referring to the drawings, the numeral III designates generally a doorframe formed of vertical side members II, a horizontal upper member I2and a horizontal lower member or sill I3. A pair of doors I4 and I5 areswingably mounted within the frame I0 and are operatively connectedtogether as will be hereinafter described for unitary movement to eitheropened or closed position.

Each door has mounted on the upper corner thereof adjacent the junctionbetween the side members II and the head or top member I2 a rightangularly disposed plate I6 having a poly-l gonal housing I'I fixedthereto and countersunk in the upper portion of the door. Anon-rotatable polygonal key member I8 is loosely mounted within thehousing I1 and has fixed thereto an upwardly projecting shaft I9. Theshaft I9ro tatably extendsthrough a bushing or .bearing 20 which isfixed to a plate 2I, and the latter is fixed by fastening-means 22 tothe upper side of the head member I2. The bushing 20 includes an annularflange 23 at its upper end which provides a spacing means for holding anarcuate lever 24 Vin upwardly spaced relation to the plate 2|. fTheupper end of the shaft I3' is formed with a pair of oppositely disposedat faces 25 which engage in a complementary open-v ing 23 formed in thelever-22,*'and the shaftfI'Sl two levers are pivotally -connectedtogether byl an elongated bar or link 29 which is provided at theopposite ends thereof with a bifurcated connecting member 3U pivotallysecured by means of a bolt 3| to the lever 24 and similarly secured tothe lever 24a which is fulcrumed onv I base plate 2 Ia. A spring 32 issecured at one end to the lever 24 as indicated at 33 and is secured atthe opposite end to an upstanding pin 34 which is xed to an arm 35bolted by means of a bolt 36 to the upper side of plate 2|.

35 and is formed with an upstanding lug 38 constituting a stop which isengageable by the f link 29 to limit the swingingA of the doors to openpositionso that the doors will not strike the door frame.

Preferably the arm 35 is formed with an elongated opening 39 throughwhich the bolt 36 engages so that the stop Vmember 38 may be adjustedrelative to the link 29 in order to provide for limiting the swingingmovement of link 29 and the two doors to a completely closed position.It will be understood that the stop member 38 provides a means wherebythe doors I4 and I5 may be swung relative to the frame III in only onedirection.

A spring 40 is connected at one end as at 4I to the lever 24a and issecured to an upstanding pin 42 which is xed to the base plate 2Ia.

In order to provide a means whereby the doors will be held againstslamming against the door stops and against vthe door frame when swungto an open position, I have provided a pair of dashpot members 43 and43a which are pivotally secured as at 44 and 44a to the plates 2l AnVobtusely disposed arm 3l extends from the armY closed position. Thepassage of the springs over the pivots when the doors are moved to fullyopen and 2Ia. respectively. Each dashpot includes a piston rod 45 and45a which is adjustably se cured to the link 29 by means of clamps 4Sand position will reverse the direction of the force 46a, respectively,which are pivotally connected exerted thereby and serve to hold thedoors in to these piston rods. As shown in Figure 5, 5 fully openposition. each dashpot includes a cylinder 41 having a The doors will beheld against slamming by piston 48 slidable therein, and at the innerend means of the dashpot structure 43 and 43a. The of each cylinder 41there is a head 4S formed length of link 29 will be determined by thedoor with an axial opening 5G coaxial with the .cylopeningvsothat-l thisdevice can-easily-ibe adapted inder 41,and:a.lateral bleed passage 5lfrom the 10 to variousfopenings. Inpracticelink ESmay be passage 58communicates with the atmosphere. furnished relatively long and can becut 01T at A needle valve 51a is threaded into the head 49 =the point ofinstallation to t the door opening. and is adapted to restrict thecommunication `The connecting members 3D can be removed and between thetwo passages 50 and 5l so that the replaced when the link 29 is cut asto length. air will only be permitted to enterrer leave the l5Whatlisfclaimedi's: cylinder gradually. Each door has-disposed JatAfcioorbp'erating mechanism to be used with the lower hinged sidethereof a pivot member 52 apairofswingably mounted doors, meansswingwhich is threaded through a plate "'53 having a ing said doors froma closed position to an open bi1-Shing 54- The plate 53 is countersunkinythe iposition, fsaid means comprising a polygona1 lower edge of thedoor, and the door is formed 20 socket xed in the upper outer corner ofeach witha socket ..55 within which the-.pivot-member door,.a"verticalsha-it for each door journallediin 52 is :adapted to extend. A lock nut56 Vis saidirame and projecting downwardly into said threaded onto-thepivot member; 52' for locking. socket,.aipolygonal key xedon thelower-endoof thej pvot member in: adjusted position.- A. socket member5.7 issecured byiastening` means to. 25 adjustablepivot means at.thelower outer-.corner thesilll, and the lowerround endof the pivot. ofeach. door,.a -leverilxed on'theupper endzof member zfisfrotatablyengageable inthesocket each sli-aft, a link pivotally connected. betweenmember 5l. As :shown inFigure. Lathe socketeach;lever,.-springsconnected;betweennsaidzlevers member 51 is disposedontheupper sideofthe and said frame for holding.saidleverslineeither si11 :or..hottom-member 13; whereas, in Figure. 8 door opening or closingposition,.:and. .dashpoti thesocketmember 51a. is disposedin countersunkposition ,within 1 the sill.

In the-use.-and operation of thisdoor operator structure, the rightanglemlate: member,A t5 with the housing .or .sockett'l is.coun-tersunkin .the 35 upper hinged-.corner offthefdoor., The-operatorstructure is mountedonthe. upperside of the head l2;,:andrtghe-.socketsi'tissecured eitherion means connected between said .link;safid frame for retarding'the movement-of said linkin either direction.

ELMER'JH. BUSHELL.

References Cited in .thele of thisipatent UNITED' STATES PATENTS32.',and Mlfwll-.resilientlyfhold-.thefzdoorsninifully x55 said shaftand vertically movable in. said. socket,l

